NAMA, NAMASMARAN AND TOTAL STRESS MANAGEMENT (PART 16) DR SHRINIWAS J. KASHALIKAR

Teacher: Hundreds of damaging effects of stress on body, instincts, mind, thoughts, memory, and perspective; in individual and social life; are described in many books; including mine. But according to me; like the mechanisms, causes and incidence of stress; the effects of stress also are infinite and beyond enumeration and description. They vary in accordance with the individual’s perceptions, his/her homeostatic machinery (Homeostatic machinery exists right from the time of fertilization of ovum and sperm. It develops into several organs & tissues which work in a coordinated manner to keep the internal environment constant (within normal range) and the nature, intensity, frequency, duration and number of stressors acting at a time and the complexity of the stressors.

Student: Do you mean to say that the extent of energy, passions, sensitivity, intelligence and perspective of an individual would determine the extent of stress?

Teacher: Yes! But besides all these; the actual physiological constitution (genotype and phenotype) also determine the pathophysiology and the effects of stress. All these, when not understood properly or exactly, are referred to as SANCHIT!

Student: What is genotype and phenotype?

Teacher: Genotype is like seed, where the life is not expressed and phenotype is like a tree, where life is expressed!

Student: I see! I have to handle the social, physiological and pathophysiological aspects of stress simultaneously! That is what you mean by Total Stress Management! It includes medical treatment, exercise techniques, yoga etc on the one hand and the evolution of globally beneficial policies, plans, programs, laws, rules etc; on the other! Am I right?

Teacher: Yes, most certainly! For that we require; simultaneous internalization and universalization of NAMASMARAN! Let me reiterate; the most important point again; stress; especially mismanaged; leads to forgetfulness about the true self. We can call this NAMAVISMARAN! This is true dying before physical death! It leads to morbid perspective, policies, programs, plans and their implementation; and laws, rules, traditions, conventions and so on; at global, national, regional and local levels. This vitiates the entire atmosphere in family, society, industries, schools, colleges, hospitals; offices and at local, regional, national and international levels. As a result we become caricatures of ourselves. We go berserk, trying to seek happiness and fulfillment in every kind of indulgence! But all our efforts go in vain and we keep slogging in turbulent emptiness; further forgetting our true selves and vitiating the atmosphere! We become chaotic ourselves and multiply the chaos around! We become cynical and spread the same!
Therefore, efforts to relax or manage stress, discipline children, laws to bring about law and order, propaganda against corruption and scams, hue and cry against inflation, appeals for charity, spiritual sermons for individual purification and improvement; or individual gratification, solace, relaxation, entertainment and other measures have limited and temporary role in an individual or social stress management! They prove to be grossly inadequate; useless or sometimes even counterproductive. This is where I became increasingly convinced that in view of the mechanisms underlying; causes and the effects and incidence of the stress; NAMASMARAN is that single, simple and easy to practice; democratic universal solution - the panacea in individual and global blossoming; i.e. Total Stress Management!